Kolaches

I used to get kolaches in Chicago as a child at the Calumet Bakery, which I understand is still open. The owner was named Matt Pocernich, and I don't know what his nationality. The kolaches were really light and flakey, almost like puff pastry, folded in like a pinwheel, with fruit or poppyseed or cheese fillings, and powdered sugar on top.Though I do like the Texas Czech kolaches, they are completely different, yeast dough-based, heavier.I have never been able to find a recipe for the memorable pastries from the Calumet Bakery.Anyone?

I do not know the specific recipe, but the current owner is Kerry Moore, the grandson of Matt Pocernich (his nationality was Croatian, and he passed away in 2000). There are currently 3 locations: 18349 Torrance Ave. Lansing, IL (708) 895-37001446 119th St. Whiting, INand the original, 2510 E. 106th St. in South Deering.I am Kerry's daughter Melissa (Matt's Great-Granddaughter). If you have any recipe questions, call the Lansing bakery, and I'm sure my dad would be happy to help you out.

We enjoy the various flavors of Kolache found in many of the Czech bakeries and restaurants thruout the midlle of the country....Texas to the Dakota's and east to the Chicago area. We have seen both the yeast dough and the pastry style, but the yeast dough seems to be the more common. Our favorite filling would have to be the Apricot, followed closely by the Cheese, Prune and Poppyseed. Only in Texas have we seen a similiar pastry/roll stuffed with ground meat or a sausage and also called a Kolache. Everywhere else the sweet or fruit filling meets the definition for this bakery specialty. In the several cookbooks we have, put together by various Czech organizations I think I count about 50 recipes for the little pastries...and I don't think there is a loser in the whole list !!

Thanks for the answers. The next time I'm in the area, I'll be sure to check out one of the bakeries. Do you still make those wonderful cinnamon poppyseed rolls? I have fond memories of sitting on my brother's lap, steering the car, while he ran the pedals, going to pick up pastries for breakfast.

In the past year, a place called The Kolache Factory has opened in Northern Cincinnati. I don't get up that way too often, and so have not yet been there.

There are some pics of what this company calls a Kolache on the main page of their website. Looks like your basic yeast bread dough wrapped around whatever, fairly unsophisticated.

http://www.kolachefactory.com (look towards the bottom of the page)

From the descriptions earlier in this thread versus the KF pics, sounds like KF is very much like the texas variety mentioned earlier on this page, rather than the much better sounding Chicago version.

TJ, We have a Kolache Factory mixed into the chain-food strip on Hurstborne Lane in Louisville (Across from Famous Dave's !) We have twice tried the Kolache and have to report it is less than satisfactory. Dry like day-old bread and a pasty semi-jelled filling....and worst of all Yuppie prices. I'll look forward to a run thru Southcentral Texas for the fresh ones next year.

I know what most of you mean with the whole KF thing...Don't go there unless thats what you want (hard dough and meat)...Houston has to be the hardest town to find real Czech kolaches (fruit with fluffy sweet dough). I remember being a youngster and being introduced to the treats by my father who learned to make them from his grandmother. Best I have ever tasted come from a Czech bakery in West,Texas (actually more in east texas) between Dallas and Austin on I35. http://www.kolacekbakery.com/

In the past year, a place called The Kolache Factory has opened in Northern Cincinnati. I don't get up that way too often, and so have not yet been there.

There are some pics of what this company calls a Kolache on the main page of their website. Looks like your basic yeast bread dough wrapped around whatever, fairly unsophisticated.

http://www.kolachefactory.com (look towards the bottom of the page)

From the descriptions earlier in this thread versus the KF pics, sounds like KF is very much like the texas variety mentioned earlier on this page, rather than the much better sounding Chicago version.

The Kolache Factory is a chain which I regret to have to admit is based in Houston. I read some interesting facts about it a few years ago. The founders had a background in retail, not food service; they were not bakers by profession or hobby; they were not Czech. They decided to take over a struggling kolache shop and not just turn it around but turn it into a chain. Ain't it wunnerful what you can learn to do in bidness school these days . The good news is it took them about a dozen years to make their business plan work; the bad news is, they made the business plan work.

The Kolache Factory is the exact antithesis of everything this website is about.

I've been just once, about 11 years ago, and never been back. I would describe the kolaches in one word as 'leaden.'

I wouldn't recommend anyone walk next door to get to a Kolache Factory, much less drive out of their way.

There. Now that I've vented I feel much better. After I calm down some more, I'll come back and post some more positive thoughts about kolaches in Houston. (Logging off and heading to the sink to splash some cold water on my face....)

I agree... the vast majority of the Kolache I have ever had..Home-made and purchased in various locations used a bread-based dough...not a pie-crust or 'flakey' type of pastry although I have seen a few of that type called "Kolache' in generic bakeries.. I think you are describng some other form of pastry that may be being sold in a Czech-Related or Multi-Ethnic Bakery.

I grew up in Chicago and my Grandparents were from poland. Our kolaches were of the flakey pie crust type. I don't have the recipe but I remember that the dough was made from flour, butter and sour cream. I believe the sour cream and butter were of equal parts.

Any updated on the kind of kolaches I've had in Chicago, not the kind in Texas. The chicago kind are square and folded over a filling with powdered sugar, the TX Czech kind are bready.

I think the Oak Mill Bakery in Niles, Illinois might have them. I know they carry paczki at Lent and I would think that a place that carries paczki would have kolacky. Also try a Yahoo local search. Look for Polish bakeries. We spell it kolacky. Also I'll look for a recipe and post. We make the non yeast ones and use cream cheese instead of sour cream.

As far as I know,there is no Polish bakery in Panna Maria or it's sister town Czestachowa down the road. There is a place in West,Texas,as you go towards Dallas that makes kolaches,and has been mentioned even on tv I think on the show Food Finds.I really don't think there are any polish bakeries in my area. There is Nagelins bakery in New Braunfels,Tx.that may make some.You could google their name for the heck of it.

Just found this thread hunting for Polish food in Texas. Unfortunately there's not much...

Having grown up in Chicago .. now living in Texas I've experienced both typed of Kolacki (Polish) or Kolache (Czech) ... Y'all have done a great job differentiating between the two!

Here's a recipe off the web that sounds a lot like my Buscia's recipe. (That's Polish for Grandma.. ) In the recipe it's made more like a thumbprint cookie .. we roll the out and fold them over .. the sprinkle with powdered sugar when they're cool. Also if you can find Solo pie filling .. that's the best .. it's thicker. The poppyseed is awsome...

I know interesting website huh? I marked it though because it has some great recipes!!

I'm from the Spring Branch with the "official post office and zip code" It's north of San Antonio... I have to laugh ... apparently there's one near Houston that is more of a HUGE subdivision that I can tell... Our's is more of a bump in the road ... unincorporated ... most of the businesses are gas station/ice houses, the post office, a couple restaurants and septic tank businesses... oh and a couple "stone places". Just south of us toward San Antonio is Bulverde... it incorporated a few years ago and has an HEB and just this year a Home Depot... laugh...

Good food around tho' ... recently a BBQ place opened called Buck and Ozzy's... GREAT food!!

Houston seems to have the largest active community in Texas... Apparently the Poles around SA blended in .. Panna Maria was one of the first Polish settlements here... we've been down there and couldn't find a Polish Restaurnt.. :(

Around Christmas time HEB sells a packaged cookie that is the closest I've found to a Polish Kolacki .. not exactly .. but close. It's more of a shortbread texture than the flaky Buscia made... I know Buscia's (and all the other Polish ladie's) were the very best the day they were made... the next day or so they'd get "flat" ... of course they rarely lasted more than the initial day of baking.. Laugh...

Interesting about the "Houston" Spring Branch... I've heard of it ... and have always said we'd go through there when we're in Houston - but we never remember.. (we used to drive to Houston just to get Krispy Kreme's and stop at IKEA to get the meatballs...) We have a KK now - and there's an IKEA going up in Austin... can't say I care for their furniture ... but I LOVE those meatballs...

Funny that a mention of Spring Branch (the subdivision) got into the kolache thread, because there is one of the best kolache shops in Texas, right in Spring Branch. It's Kolache Bakery (not to be confused with Kolache Factory), on Bingle, close to Long Point. I put the url for the ratings from b4ueat.com below. I no longer live in Houston but grew up in Spring Branch (the school district is still there). I've seen the place go downhill but it's making a comeback because it's quite convenient for a downtown or Galleria commute and the home prices are often amazingly low for nice neighborhoods.

But I digress. Kolache Factory is an amazing place, almost literally a hole in the wall in a strip center that looked seedy 30 years ago. But you know it's authentic because you can always find flyers for the local polka dance on the weekend.

We haven't been to the Houston Ikea in YEARS ... especially since one opened in Dallas and my son's girlfriend is up there. May have to make the trip to Houston ... and then we can hit the Ikea AND the Kolache factory!!

Interesting that "Spring Branch" there is where Ikea is... to be honest someone once had described it as "very upscale" ... I'd have never thought the area around Ikea was it.. laugh...

I really don't remember the name of the cookie at HEB (can't even remember if it was a variation of Kolacki laugh I just recognized the shape) ... they're in a round container that looks like it would hold a pie ... I think they're apricot and either strawberry or rasberry filling.

One thing about the Czech ones ... I LOVE the sausage .. something we don't do on the Polish... we usually stop in West, Tx if we're up that way on I-35 ... I think it's Czech Stop we stop at .. it's a regular stop - even if we're not hungry I'll pick them up because eventually we'll be hungry.. laugh...

Thanks for the great followup on the Kolache situation in Texas. Those do indeed look like the Kolache Recipes that I recall from Mother's Baking efforts and the Czech festivals we have attended over hte years.

We have added the Kolache review to our Round Rock Doughnut Review that is fast approaching the BBQ Review as the Priority activity for our part of the February Glee-Club Tour coming up in just 3.5 months!! I think I better just skip Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday Feasting times, to conserve space and time for the February Anti-Lent Session!

I have only tried kolaches one time and that was at Weikel's Store and Bakery in La Grange, Texas. It was the first place I hit on a six day trip to Texas, so I loaded up on five different flavors (six pack of each), with apricot and pineapple being my favorites. Too bad I can't get these here at home.

I rented a car today from Enterprise in Houston. They were extremely courteous and offered complimentary kolaches. I brough Judi back a couple of the sausage and cheeese and ham and cheese. The bread was extremely good.